New vegetarian protein support

Hi! I'm pescatarian and meet my protein most days. I do love my shrimp and fish, though. I eat eggs, too. Is their a reason you don't eat much fish?

Same here. I've been doing the vegetarian thing about 6 months and recently started feeling fatigued. Also developed edema suddenly. I went to the doctor to get checked and I had extremely low protein levels and quite a few other low things. Was sent to a dietician yesterday and she gave me some good recommendations. First is that I was eating lots of protein bars to help replace protein but she said since those are highly processed they aren't complete protein sources. I also over exercise (compulsively) which is a separate issue but that requires more protein I wasn't adjusting for.

Over the last few days I've stopped the protein bars and started adding beans and grains that are high in protein to my diet. I've noticed a slight increase in energy but it's too early to tell so far.

Hope this helps a little.

I've been a vegetarian for over two years now and had these exact symptoms, accompanied with hair loss! I now take Iron pills, vitimin D and B12 and have noticed a huge difference in myself. I have to admit I still struggle to meet protein goals but I've heard eating protien bars or taking protein shakes help. We've started adding a lot more beans and lentils to our diet too. Hope this helps!

Vegetarian all my life. I get protein from beans and lentils and yogurt and cottage cheese my fav snack.

I've been a vegetarian for about 6 months now. The only times I've felt fatigue have been if I wasn't taking my daily vitamin (for iron and B12) or if I wasn't hitting my protein goal of 70-ish grams.

Focus on getting some quality protein from your chosen sources and hitting the goal MFP has set for you. If you find it tough to reach your protein goal, it might be a good idea to check out how much protein is in your favorite foods. I'm fond of broccoli, peas of all kinds, pulses of all kinds, tofu, squash, cheese, grains, and eggs. They all have decent protein and so I'm always looking to add them to my meals. You might also look into some meat substitutes or seafood until you get the hang of hitting your protein goals with your preferred foods.

Also, if you haven't already, invest in a good one-a-day multivitamin and take it every day to supplement your nutrition. It might also be helpful for you to eat some B-12 fortified cereal. I like Raisin Bran because it has 90% of your daily recommended B-12 and high iron per serving. It's also super tasty ;p

If you're not feeling better after a few days of hitting protein goals+taking supplements, you might want to see your doctor and get some tests run to make sure there's not something serious going on.

christieraehealing wrote: »

Hello everyone,
I’ve switched from an omnivorous diet to vegetarian/light pescatarian some dairy products such as kefir; and fish infrequently) 3 months ago and am finding I’m increasingly fatigued, lack of mental clarity and decreased retention, and unstable blood sugar.
I attempted to switch to vegetarian 10 years ago but oddly enough found around the 3 month mark I was too fatigued and gave up. I do not want to give up again.

Any advice?

Thank you in advance.

I'm wondering if you are not getting enough protein and/or calories.

1. What is your protein goal and are you hitting it?
2. How much weight do you have to lose and what weekly weight loss goal did you select?

I’m a new vegetarian too. Started out with giving up meat for Lent & had read that meat & dairy could be a source for my chronic migraines. I eat a lot of eggs, beans( there are so many yummy types of beans🙌) cottage cheese occasionally, and even buy the fake meat products for ease of cooking. Best of luck my friend! I will add you! I’m no expert but I’m trying to find my way & stick with it